British schoolgirl dies after HPV vaccination

British schoolgirl dies after HPV vaccination

CBC News

Flowers hang on the gate of Blue Coat Church of England School in Coventry, England, on Tuesday, after a pupil from the school died Monday after receiving the Cervarix vaccination for HPV. (Rui Vieira/PA/Associated Press)

Health authorities in Britain are investigating after a 14-year-old girl died a few hours after she was vaccinated against a virus that causes cervical cancer.

Natalie Morton died in a hospital shortly after receiving the Cervarix vaccine at her school in Coventry, about 160 kilometres northwest of London. The injection protects against two strains of the human papilloma virus that cause cervical cancer.

Caron Grainger, director for public health at Coventry city council, said an autopsy will be conducted to investigate if the vaccine played any role in Morton's death.

Health officials said Tuesday the batch of vaccine administered at the school has been quarantined for two days. A number of other girls at the school reported mild symptoms such as dizziness and nausea after receiving the shot.

"What we don't know at this stage is whether her sad death and her feeling unwell is in any way connected to the immunization itself," said Mike Attwood of the public health department in Coventry.

"That's what we rapidly need to determine and we're going on an investigation to bottom that out as soon as we can."

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